"Daily Mouth Health Check"

By: Zach Wood

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for

building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 

 

This passage has been "popping" its head up quite a bit lately and I feel the Lord is trying to encourage me about the words that I use everyday.  The words of this passage strike us each and every day, as we go about our routine work days or whatever we do during our days.  I have been feeling convicted that I don't use enough encouraging words when I talk with others.  I find myself complaining more than I would like to admit.  When I'm not using encouraging and uplifting words around others, I bring them down.  Now, this is not to say that when someone asks me or asks you, that you are I are never allowed to say that we're not having a good day at all.  We all have bad days and say things we regret saying.  Or, we might just have moments in our days when we say things without thinking.  It happens to all of us.

 

I just visited the dentist yesterday.  Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to going.  Not many people do.  Who enjoys getting picked and scraped?  The problem was that I hadn't been since May of last year.  I wasn't sure what problems would come up, but I just tried to remain positive.  It's nice when the dental hygienist talks to you through your appointment and helps you to relax.  Well....at least they want to try to get you to relax!  Anyways, I ended up coming out without too much trouble.  Just a cavity that I need filled and some advice about brushing and flossing.  Taking care of my teeth.  It's advice that I don't hear very often.  I mean, let's face it, who really sits around having conversations about teeth??  I don't hear many conversations like that where I go. 

 

Even though, we don't talk about our teeth, we probably would all agree that we want healthy teeth.  Not only healthy teeth, but healthy gums.  Just a plain healthy mouth!  However, just like sometimes waiting too long to visit the dentist, we often don't do a spiritual mouth check up like we need to.  Much like my inconsistent dental visits, we don't pay attention to the things we say to others.  Days, weeks, months or even years go by and we don't always give complete thought to what we say when we are around other people.  Jesus wants us to be very mindful and neglectful of how we talk to others.  The world needs to see and hear us talking in love and compassion.  When we're focused on complaining and talking only about what's bothering us and frustrating us in life, we become just like the gingivitis, plague, and tartar that builds up in our mouths when we wait too long to take care of what's inside.

 

I feel we all need to be strongly encouraged to have a thorough mouth health check each day.  Being conscience of what we say and the effect our words are having and have had on people.  Jesus wants us to build up, not destroy.